Category
Videos

Dr. Bronner’s Factory Tour: Liquid Soap

Dr. Bronner’s Factory Tour

I hear it often… “I’ve been using your soap for 40 years” … “I love all that you guys do” … “I want to see where the magic is made” … “Can I take a tour?”

How I hate saying no to factory tours. I feel like I’m selfishly hoarding something that is really awesome. If I weren’t already in on it, I’d totally want to see it too. But we can’t squeeze in tours, as you’ll see. There’s just not enough space. There’s too much magic happening!

So I’ve created the next best thing: a video tour. A peek inside our headquarters, following the path of liquid soap production – from raw materials in, to bottled soap out.

I don’t have a lot of experience in factories other than Dr. Bronner’s, but I do think we have the most gorgeous and fascinating operation. It is filled with stories, lessons and the practical expression of our 6 Cosmic Principles. I’m glad I get to share this with you here.

Further reading

Download Now!

Castile Soap Cheat Sheet

Dilute! Dilute! OK! But how much? Print this guide!

DOWNLOAD

Leave a Reply to David Suleiman Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sharon says:

Thank you for what you and your family are doing – All – One!

David Suleiman says:

We are looking for Natural Castel Liquid Soup , with out fragrance or other bad chemical. we want to use it in our Farm to treat our palnt from Fungus, can you advise us where we can buy it in Melbourne FL area.

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi David- Our Store Locator (https://www.drbronner.com/store-locator/) will help you find where Dr. Bronner’s products are sold in your area. The Unscented Castile has no scent, while our scented Castile soaps get their scents from essential oils.

Liquid vs. Bar in Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap says:

[…] If you want more info on the process of soapmaking, check out this article, Making the Best Soap. And here’s a video tour of our Liquid Soap Production Factory. […]

Cyd Dawson says:

WOW! That was incredible! Thank you so much for posting this video!

Caroline Graettinger says:

I just finished cleaning my floors with my sal suds cleanser, curtesy of Lisa’s recipes. I sat down to rest and thought “I wonder what Lisa has posted lately”. This video made me smile and is heart warming to see the fair trade process in action. Thank you for sharing, and thank you and everyone at Dr Bronner’s for a model of good business, aka business that does good.

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Caroline- Ha! I don’t know about anyone else, but I consider it a complement that I come to mind when you look at your freshly mopped floors! That video was such fun to make – I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Mike Donald says:

Hi Lisa,
What a great tour video! As a natural products broker, in fact Indigo Natural Products, your broker in Canada, I’ve had a lot of plant tours. Your’s is absolutely beautiful! It’s also great to be able to hear every word the tour guide says, and you did a great job. It’s inspiring to see the heights that your operation has reached.
We’re very proud to be a part of the family and part of the message! It’s like having a badge of honor.
Keep up all the great work, we will too.
All One,
Mike
CEO Indigo Natural Products

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Mike – Great to hear from you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for being part of the excellent Dr. Bronner’s extended family! We couldn’t do what we do without you.

Eleni Lekaki says:

I can honestly wish you guys to grow and succeed even more.
Without a doubt your products have been the best purchase I’ve made in years!

Hope you continue to deliver and you stay true to the cause
because we really want you to stick around for long!

xx
Eleni
Athens, Greece

Rosalind Nichelle Burris says:

Thank you so much for sharing this video. My grandmother, mom and myself have been using your soap for years. Thank you for you and your family for sharing your blessings.

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Rosalind- Thank you! It’s always a treat to hear from families who’ve passed down the tradition of using our soap.

Batzion says:

Thank you for the informative tour. One thing I noticed was how clean everything appears to be. No surprise, I guess, since it IS Dr. Bronner’s!. Wouldn’t expect anything less. Really enjoyed the video, And how cool to have your own tricked-out firetruck!

Idania Ospino says:

Although your products are green, I’m concerned about all of the plastic bottles you use, as plastic has a huge impact in our environment.

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Idania – We appreciate and share your concern about the environment. So much so, it is reflected in our 5th Cosmic Principle, “Treat the Earth Like Home” (Read about it here: https://www.drbronner.com/about/#about-our-earth). For all of our liquid and pump soaps, Dr. Bronner’s exclusively uses 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) polyethylene (PET) plastic bottles. This “bottle-to-bottle” recycling, the recycling of plastic bottles into new bottles, is fairly uncommon. Most often the plastic picked up on curbsides is “downcycled” and shipped to countries like China, where it’s used to create synthetic fabrics and then shipped back to the U.S. for sale. Bottle-to-bottle recycling helps to close the loop and results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions. We also continue to keep close tabs on innovations taking place in bio-plastics research, using renewable resources like plants and bacteria to create plastic that would otherwise be produced from petroleum. This technology isn’t quite there yet, but we have great hope for its viability in the future. And while glass bottles may seem like an alternative to plastic, because our soaps are used in wet and slippery environments, it is not a great option for us. Thanks so much for sharing your concern!

Janice says:

I love Dr Bronner soaps! That was a great tour of your liquid soap making facilities. Will you be doing a video for your hard/solid soap, too? I’d love to see it! Also, I love your unscented products as I have scent allergies. Thank you for that (not all companies do that for their customers)! I also love how the olive oil is from both Palestine and Israel, in the hopes of creating some peace!

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Janice – I’m glad you liked the tour. It was great fun to make! I don’t yet have plans for a video tour of our bar soap facilities. But, you’re not the first to mention it!

Linda Crowley says:

I used to deliver your mail when your business was on Auto Park Way in Escondido, it was great being able to pop in when ever I needed anything, and the driver discount was super nice. I’ve been to your new office in Vista once, but now I just order it online. Loved your video tour!

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Linda – What a treat to hear from a Dr. Bronner’s friend and neighbor! Glad you enjoyed the virtual tour.

Ki Bourgeois says:

I loved the video. I’ve been a loyal customer of all your products, but especially your soap, for over 40 years. In college I belonged to a food co-op where we could bring our empty Dr. Bronner bottles and refill them, reducing wasted plastic. I’d love to see a program like that again.

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Ki – It’s always great to hear from long-time customers! Some independent health food stores and co-ops do still have refill stations. But, because of the concentrated nature of the soap, it can clog the pump, causing it to stop completely or to shoot the soap out in every direction. Because of this challenge, there are not as many refill stations around. But you can purchase 1 gallon sizes through our website and use those to refill.

Liquid vs. Bar in Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap says:

[…] If you want more info on the process of soapmaking, check out this article, Making the Best Soap. And here’s a video tour of our Liquid Soap Production Factory. […]

Joyce S. says:

How fascinating. To think this business all began in an apartment. I love that castle soap. I’m going all natural in 2019 and will be ordering my goods from your company. Thanks for the video, I enjoyed it greatly. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Joyce S.
Grapeland, Tx

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Joyce – I agree! It’s pretty amazing to think of where our company came from to where it is now. I also want to welcome you to “team green”! Now that you’re here, be sure to look around the blog for some great recipes to put your Castile soap to work!

Tom Halstead says:

Great video! I’m always fascinated by “how it’s done” information, especially when it involves people and products I admire. This video does that perfectly while vividly expressing who you are, what you are, and how you are. Dr. Bronner’s is my absolute favorite company on earth because of ALL the qualities you embrace and demonstrate. (You could have titled the video “How To Do Capitalism Right 101”). FYI, I use Dr. Bonner’s liquid soaps at home, bar soaps for travel, Sal Suds for all manner of cleaning, toothpaste for the obvious, because the products and the company are simply superior. I wish you continued success!

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Tom- It’s always a treat to hear from long-time Dr. Bronner’s customers! We appreciate your support.

Ray Mooney says:

I have been using Dr Bronner soaps for over 40 years and very much enjoyed seeing how everything comes together.

Continue your success on a great product line

Tracy Andrews says:

Thank you for showing your plant. I work at a plastics manufacturing plant and I can appreciate how organized your facility is. And the labels. So many labels. Great job!

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Tracy – So many labels indeed! With their bright colors, different languages and history, that’s one of my favorite areas on the plant floor.

Marisol Berrios says:

Thank you !!!
The best quality brand products “Dr.Bronner’s” for the best quality personal care for your entire family.
May God bless you today and always!??

Ezra Soiferman says:

Lisa, I was a friend of your wonderful uncle Ralph’s and hosted him up in Montreal when the film festival I worked at showed the fantastic Sara Lamm doc on him, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soapbox. Dr. Bronner’s also supported my Hemp for the Homeless project on several occasions and I’m forever grateful for the help. This video was incredible. What a glimpse into all the hard work, ingenuity and devotion by the whole Bronner’s family and team. I spent the day photographing behind the scenes in the celebrated DoughNats donut shop up in Montreal today and thought I’d have a hard time finding another production line as colourful. Well, not 3 hours later, seeing your video reminded me that there are indeed some other very colourful factories out there. However, I do suspect it’ll be hard to top the Dr. Bronner’s factory! Thanks for the awesome factory tour and keep up the great work with the soap and the blog. Dilute, dilute, All-One! Ezra, Filmmaker, Montreal

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Ezra – How wonderful that you were a friend of Uncle Ralph. He touched so many people, and I always enjoy hearing from those who knew him. Thank you!

Leon says:

Wow, just love this. Thanks for sharing the production facility. It’s beautiful inside.

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Carola – We support all people on Spaceship Earth. All-One!

Barbara H says:

How cool to see how it all goes together. I recently had a major catastrophe on my hardwood kitchen floor and tried several different products to clean it up. I must have washed my floor 12-15 times and while the messy part on the top cleaned okay the surface of the wood lost it’s luster and just felt horrible. Then it hit me to try using my Dr. Bronner’s recipe for hardwood floor cleaning. That was the turning point that brought my floor back to it’s original state. I thought I was going to have call in a professional to have my floor refinished but Dr. Bronner’s saved the day!

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Barbara – Thank you for this great testimonial. Glad it was something simple that got your floor’s shine back. Phew!

Liana says:

Thank you so much for this video! I have always loved “see how it’s made” videos, and I work in manufacturing quality assurance, so I understand the value of accuracy, color-coding, and lot marking, etc. Taking a peek into the manufacturing line of Dr. Bronners – one of my favorite products – is gratifying! Keep up the great work, everyone!

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Liana – I’m glad you enjoyed the virtual tour. There are certainly a lot of nitty-gritty details that go into managing a plant, as you can surely appreciate!

Corinna says:

Thank you! What an awesome video???. I have been in many manufacturing plants, especially with oils, and yours is definitely the prettiest? and maybe the cleanest! My boys also love watching plant tour videos and their legos??

Lisa Bronner says:

Thank you, Corinna. “Pretty” is not usually an adjective used to describe the plant, but I don’t disagree with you. Hope your boys enjoy the tour!

Raymond Spitzley says:

Awesome video of the production facility! Thanks for sharing! I’m now retired after spending the bulk of my life as a shop rat manufacturing aircraft parts. I can never get enough of viewing other means of manufacturing processes both low and high rate production. The Bronner’s plant looks efficient and employee friendly. Kudos!

Lisa Bronner says:

Hi Raymond – That is high praise from someone of your level of expertise. And I agree – our soap production team does great work.

About Lisa Bronner

My grandfather was Dr. Bronner, my family makes soap, and I share ways to use it plus tips on greener living.

Learn about my book, Soap & Soul!

Learn More

Print Now!

Castile Soap Cheat Sheet

Dilute! Dilute! OK! But how much? Print this guide!

DOWNLOAD